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Let's forget all of this 'which console will be the best' for a minute and look at it from a different angle. The Dreamcast almost certainly won't be around as a format when the XBox and GameCube are up and running (safely assuming neither falls flat on it's face). This leaves three to choose from, but will the console market support three different formats?
Look back at the Saturn, PS and N64 (released in that order). The Saturn came and kicked out the Megadrive and the PS kicked out the SNES (alright I admit that's not strictly accurate but you get the idea).
Then along comes the N64 and effectively hammers one of, if not the, final nail into the Saturns coffin, accelerating it's downfall. To paraphrase a popular expression of today it was 'goodbye' to the weakest link.
Next up is the Dreamcast. Goodbye N64. Although it seems to be having one of the longest swan song periods of them all.
The PlayStation 2 comes along and, in succeeding the PS1 (not killing it though, thanks to backwards compatibility) and defeating the Dreamcast, leaves us with only one healthy system.
The XBox (assuming this is actually released first and, knowing Nintendo, it will be) will come along and clear up the leftovers, leaving out two system market again. When it comes to the GameCube it may not be so clear as to which two will survive. In its history, the games market has never allowed more than two systems to dominate at any one time. Why should this change now. Of 'The Big Three' there is only room for two.
To finish the post title, two's company, three's a crowd - who's likely to be the weakest link? Remember, it's votes that count, not how many answers they get right or wrong.
I know which one I'd like to be voted off.
Look back at the Saturn, PS and N64 (released in that order). The Saturn came and kicked out the Megadrive and the PS kicked out the SNES (alright I admit that's not strictly accurate but you get the idea).
Then along comes the N64 and effectively hammers one of, if not the, final nail into the Saturns coffin, accelerating it's downfall. To paraphrase a popular expression of today it was 'goodbye' to the weakest link.
Next up is the Dreamcast. Goodbye N64. Although it seems to be having one of the longest swan song periods of them all.
The PlayStation 2 comes along and, in succeeding the PS1 (not killing it though, thanks to backwards compatibility) and defeating the Dreamcast, leaves us with only one healthy system.
The XBox (assuming this is actually released first and, knowing Nintendo, it will be) will come along and clear up the leftovers, leaving out two system market again. When it comes to the GameCube it may not be so clear as to which two will survive. In its history, the games market has never allowed more than two systems to dominate at any one time. Why should this change now. Of 'The Big Three' there is only room for two.
To finish the post title, two's company, three's a crowd - who's likely to be the weakest link? Remember, it's votes that count, not how many answers they get right or wrong.
I know which one I'd like to be voted off.
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Let's forget all of this 'which console will be the best' for a minute and look at it from a different angle. The Dreamcast almost certainly won't be around as a format when the XBox and GameCube are up and running (safely assuming neither falls flat on it's face). This leaves three to choose from, but will the console market support three different formats?
Look back at the Saturn, PS and N64 (released in that order). The Saturn came and kicked out the Megadrive and the PS kicked out the SNES (alright I admit that's not strictly accurate but you get the idea).
Then along comes the N64 and effectively hammers one of, if not the, final nail into the Saturns coffin, accelerating it's downfall. To paraphrase a popular expression of today it was 'goodbye' to the weakest link.
Next up is the Dreamcast. Goodbye N64. Although it seems to be having one of the longest swan song periods of them all.
The PlayStation 2 comes along and, in succeeding the PS1 (not killing it though, thanks to backwards compatibility) and defeating the Dreamcast, leaves us with only one healthy system.
The XBox (assuming this is actually released first and, knowing Nintendo, it will be) will come along and clear up the leftovers, leaving out two system market again. When it comes to the GameCube it may not be so clear as to which two will survive. In its history, the games market has never allowed more than two systems to dominate at any one time. Why should this change now. Of 'The Big Three' there is only room for two.
To finish the post title, two's company, three's a crowd - who's likely to be the weakest link? Remember, it's votes that count, not how many answers they get right or wrong.
I know which one I'd like to be voted off.
Look back at the Saturn, PS and N64 (released in that order). The Saturn came and kicked out the Megadrive and the PS kicked out the SNES (alright I admit that's not strictly accurate but you get the idea).
Then along comes the N64 and effectively hammers one of, if not the, final nail into the Saturns coffin, accelerating it's downfall. To paraphrase a popular expression of today it was 'goodbye' to the weakest link.
Next up is the Dreamcast. Goodbye N64. Although it seems to be having one of the longest swan song periods of them all.
The PlayStation 2 comes along and, in succeeding the PS1 (not killing it though, thanks to backwards compatibility) and defeating the Dreamcast, leaves us with only one healthy system.
The XBox (assuming this is actually released first and, knowing Nintendo, it will be) will come along and clear up the leftovers, leaving out two system market again. When it comes to the GameCube it may not be so clear as to which two will survive. In its history, the games market has never allowed more than two systems to dominate at any one time. Why should this change now. Of 'The Big Three' there is only room for two.
To finish the post title, two's company, three's a crowd - who's likely to be the weakest link? Remember, it's votes that count, not how many answers they get right or wrong.
I know which one I'd like to be voted off.
Thanks for the comment but that wasn't the intention (It'd be nice though!).
If I only posted it to win a game then I'd have waited a bit longer because it was less than a fornight ago that I won anyway.
I'm starting to wish I had waited now - the more I think about it the more true I think what I've said is.
If I only posted it to win a game then I'd have waited a bit longer because it was less than a fornight ago that I won anyway.
I'm starting to wish I had waited now - the more I think about it the more true I think what I've said is.
I'm starting to feel guilty now. Could someone please argue with me or something?
I know! How about this?
Who do you fancy the most out of Popstars?
Is Noel genuinely funny or just a mummy's boy desperate for attention?
Does Danny look like more like he should be a boxer or a door-to-door salesman?
I say Suzanne (just, sorry Kym), genuinely funny and door-to-door salesman.
I know! How about this?
Who do you fancy the most out of Popstars?
Is Noel genuinely funny or just a mummy's boy desperate for attention?
Does Danny look like more like he should be a boxer or a door-to-door salesman?
I say Suzanne (just, sorry Kym), genuinely funny and door-to-door salesman.
I thought Danny looks like the lead singer from the Fine Young Cannibals.
Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!!!!!!!!
Please someone!
PS2
XBox
GameCube
The Weakest Link? Which one will be kicked out? Anne Robinson where are you?
Good point about the Fine Young Cannibals though (Roland something - not Rivron but that's all I can think of). He's probably a salesman by now - in between filming his Channel 5 adverts.
Please someone!
PS2
XBox
GameCube
The Weakest Link? Which one will be kicked out? Anne Robinson where are you?
Good point about the Fine Young Cannibals though (Roland something - not Rivron but that's all I can think of). He's probably a salesman by now - in between filming his Channel 5 adverts.
(I will try very hard not to see Dude Where's My Car!)
Commodore 64 and Spectrum
Atari ST and Amiga
Master System and NES
SNES and Megadrive
N64 and PlayStation
Yes there have always been TWO - er plus one, the PC, and oh yes, the Gameboy.
Here's the future list:
Sony - PlayStation 2 and PSone
Nintendo - Game Cube, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy
Microsoft - PC and Xbox
(I've given the PC to Microsoft as they take £50 plus upgrades for the Windows operating system)
There is no chance in my view of this polarising back to two machines. It might be getting harder to write games, but the territory for converting games to new formats is becoming very familiar. So any mass market machine will be supported with a wide range of top games.
Of the above, the only one which does not incur a royalty is the PC. And CDrom's are cheap to produce too. The trouble is, they are also easy to copy.
By "royalty" I mean the percentage paid by the games-maker to the console-maker for the right to produce and sell games on that format.
A "winning" console is dependant on the volume of sales of the console (vital to keep costs down) and the royalties generated by the games sold for the console (the only way to make a profit).
Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are all capable of playing hard-ball with the games publishers over royalties. I can't see any losers there.
The Game Boy and Game Boy Advance look to be certain of enough volume to support massive amounts of games development. Especially as the games have limitations which make them much cheaper to develop.
Of the others, my guess is that new genre games will mostly be developed for the PC because there is less risk (how much bigger could Shenmue have been). The games-makers will be looking hard for the best way to port games across PS2, Xbox and Game Cube.
There are two distinct paths forward:
1. Games-makers write games for all formats.
2. Console-makers buy up games-makers for exclusives.
History suggests that the latter is a lesson already learned and that the first option will prevail. Signs of this came recently from Sega when they announced they will support all formats with their titles.
So - unlike the present situation, it may not matter quite as much which games platform you have. The games may all look just the same.
All the manafucturers are big boys now, so I don't think we should expect the market to narrow back down too much.
For top dog my money is on Gameboy Advance. Hey, why bother with a TV!
Commodore 64 and Spectrum
Atari ST and Amiga
Master System and NES
SNES and Megadrive
N64 and PlayStation
Yes there have always been TWO - er plus one, the PC, and oh yes, the Gameboy.
Here's the future list:
Sony - PlayStation 2 and PSone
Nintendo - Game Cube, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy
Microsoft - PC and Xbox
(I've given the PC to Microsoft as they take £50 plus upgrades for the Windows operating system)
There is no chance in my view of this polarising back to two machines. It might be getting harder to write games, but the territory for converting games to new formats is becoming very familiar. So any mass market machine will be supported with a wide range of top games.
Of the above, the only one which does not incur a royalty is the PC. And CDrom's are cheap to produce too. The trouble is, they are also easy to copy.
By "royalty" I mean the percentage paid by the games-maker to the console-maker for the right to produce and sell games on that format.
A "winning" console is dependant on the volume of sales of the console (vital to keep costs down) and the royalties generated by the games sold for the console (the only way to make a profit).
Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are all capable of playing hard-ball with the games publishers over royalties. I can't see any losers there.
The Game Boy and Game Boy Advance look to be certain of enough volume to support massive amounts of games development. Especially as the games have limitations which make them much cheaper to develop.
Of the others, my guess is that new genre games will mostly be developed for the PC because there is less risk (how much bigger could Shenmue have been). The games-makers will be looking hard for the best way to port games across PS2, Xbox and Game Cube.
There are two distinct paths forward:
1. Games-makers write games for all formats.
2. Console-makers buy up games-makers for exclusives.
History suggests that the latter is a lesson already learned and that the first option will prevail. Signs of this came recently from Sega when they announced they will support all formats with their titles.
So - unlike the present situation, it may not matter quite as much which games platform you have. The games may all look just the same.
All the manafucturers are big boys now, so I don't think we should expect the market to narrow back down too much.
For top dog my money is on Gameboy Advance. Hey, why bother with a TV!
Smokey - winning a couple of weeks ago has no effect on your chances of winning again. Honest.
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